10-year-old boy was heartbroken watching a man beat his little dog — then he made one clever choice that led cops to the abuser

A young boy was hailed for his quick thinking that helped save not one, but two lives. He encountered a scary old man beating a small dog while he was out cycling in his neighborhood on a Sunday night in March 2025. Unlike any other child who would run home terrified, the 10-year-old boy decided to make a clever choice that would make the police’s job way easier in holding the abuser accountable for his cruel behavior toward animals.  

The boy’s identity was hidden for his safety, as requested by his mother. However, the applause of his brave feat in rescuing the dogs from the abuser echoed far and wide in the city of Donna, Texas. The abuser, identified as Juan Pedro Becerra, 70, was found hitting his pet dog mercilessly with a shovel outside his home. “He got a shovel first and started hitting the little dog, and put them inside with the shovel. It’s a little dog; they can’t defend themselves,” recalled the boy, who bore witness to the horrifying sight, to Channel 5 News. Though unnerved, the boy made a conscious decision to pull out his phone and allegedly film the heartbreaking incident to expose his brutal act.  

Unfortunately, this was not the first time the abuser had done this. The neighbors informed the boy that they had seen it before and also advised him to keep an eye out for the man. “The neighbors had said when we see him to record so we can show the police,” he said. So, he did. The footage was shown to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, which prompted a quick rescue operation. Animal control officials reached the abuser’s home and rescued two dogs from his house. They were safely transported to the Palm Valley Animal Society and were ready to start a new and healthy life away from the abuser. The court ordered Becerra to pay $30,000 as a fine for the cruel act.  

Meanwhile, Becerra was arrested the day after the incident was shown to the police. Rebecca Chavez, Chief Operations Officer of Yaqui Animal Rescue, was thankful to the boy who managed to document the chilling incident. “Sometimes it is the only thing that police or prosecutors can use to prosecute these individuals," she told the news outlet. The rescue organization also posted the news channel interview on their Instagram page, @yaquianimalrescue. The abuser was charged with one count of animal cruelty to non-livestock animals - kill/poison/causing serious bodily injury. The young boy’s compassion for animals and brave decision to call out the culprit proved that kindness is a choice rather than a trait. “[I hope] he learns his lesson to not be hitting dogs,” he said. 

According to Shelter Animals Count, animal abuse and cruelty are on the rise in the U.S. About 10 million animals die from cruelty or abuse every year, while around 250,000 animals end up trapped in hoarding situations and live in unsanitary conditions. New Mexico, Mississippi, Alabama, and Idaho are some of the states with poor animal protection laws.